PLJ Financial Services and USKO have launched a joint venture, saInvestor.com, to the investment and trading community. The online share trading facility is touted as combining the skills and resources of a stockbroker with USKO`s e-commerce core business, to ensure secure online trading of all JSE shares, as well as a range of free value-added services.
According to Gerhard Lampen, MD of saInvestor.com, the facility offers a flat-fee structure that aims to reduce investor costs. In addition, he explains, the company has invested over R4 million in a solid infrastructure and systems development to ensure reliability, speed and security.
"The site offers a truly e-commerce driven form of stock broking," adds Gert Blij, director at saInvestor.com. "For no extra or hidden fee, it provides comprehensive share research, a charting facility for technical analysis, daily economic and financial news, as well as market commentaries. All of these services combine to enable traders to make sound investment decisions. Currently, saInvestor.com offers one of the most competitive and functional facilities available - and everything, except for the live JSE prices, will cost traders nothing."
Paul Wootten, executive director of business development at USKO, explains how the site offers value to its users. "The partnership between USKO and PLJ Financial Services follows a typical e-commerce industry partnership model, where USKO has delivered the technical capability and PLJ has brought its existing credibility and customer relations to the alliance. Significant research went into developing the facility and we believe that saInvestor.com is a consolidation of all of the best features of existing share trading facilities."
"Current market research indicates that the number of South African Internet users would have reached 1.8 million by December last year," says Lampen. "With the present estimate of online traders placed at approximately 20 000, this market`s expansion potential is exponential. saInvestor.com delivers a portfolio management system with an alert facility via e-mail or SMS, on selected share price changes. It also provides comprehensive fundamental data, as far back as 1990, for all listed JSE companies. The site`s search engine can even find all shares meeting selected criteria - for example, all shares with a specific price:earnings ratio.
"SaInvestor.com aims to attract a broad spectrum of investors who wish to manage their own portfolios, from the smaller, more active investors, to the more serious, long-term clients. First-time traders who want to set up trial portfolios simply need to register as a general user without signing a mandate."
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